Beyond talk: creating autonomous motivation through self-determination theory

Many managers and academics have a passing familiarity with self-determination theory (SDT), which articulates the core principles that underlie the concept of sustainable motivation in organisations. But far fewer understand how to successfully implement a SDT intervention in the face of organisational pressure for short-term accountability and performance. We present the core principles of SDT, describe the principles that underlie successful SDT-based interventions, propose six steps (i.e. actions) that facilitate the creation of autonomous motivation, articulate the obstacles to successful implementation, and present two examples of successful organisational implementations.